"Ain't nothin' but the blues, take one..." After a brief false start (0:05), Dorough plays the opening ascending progression; two more false starts (0:19, 0:11); Dorough plays the passage again, then says "you got a wrong note in there, Miles." They run through the opening passage: Dorough plays, Davis follows. Davis: "All right, sing..." Another incomplete take (1:20). Davis: "Teo, play that back, willya?" Macero: "We'll play that back..." Another run-through (2:03). At the end Cobb says, "There's one part in there (demonstrates) I think I messed up." Dorough, in response to Davis: "what, just the rhythm? Wha... One, one-two..."; a slow-tempo run through the changes without soloists (0:27). At the breakdown Dorough asks, "Third bar?" Cobb playing with sticks; Davis says "play the brushes, Jimmy... Here we go, from the top, slow..." Slow run-through of whole song (2:21). Shorter: "...second ending I got some chords." Davis pays a few notes, then asks, "Hey Bob? Hey, Bob?" Dorough: "Yeah?"

16

Nothing Like You (take 1) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

0:40

"CO 75735, Nothing Like You Before, take one..." Breakdown at 0:20. Davis: "OK Bob, just me and you... Came in late..."

They play, but that the breakdown (0:21) Davis complains "you fuckin' lost me!" Dorough: "I was playin'... [undecipherable exchange] OK." Davis: "OK, now think -- ba-ba-bah, bah." Dorough: "OK... we're in A-flat, isn't it?" Davis: "G-flat." Dorough: "Huh..." Macero: "You wanna take this from the top?" Dorough: "No." Davis: "Take it from your cock." (Laughter) Dorough begins the opening ascending progresssion, and Davis sings, "ba-ba-bah, bah..." Dorough: "It's A-flat" (plays). Davis sings "bap-bap-bap-baba... (Dorough plays) It's G-flat major seventh..." Short take (0:21), brief discussion, another short take (0:56). Davis complains, "If you play the fuckin' chords then I could hear it... [undecipherable]" Dorough, Chamber, and Correa demontrate chord changes (0:08). Dorough: "What?" Davis: "You have to play the chords so I can hear -- I can't hear you, and I can't hear the chords." Dorough: "It ain't loud enough?" They play (0:11). Davis: "Five bars after the introduction, all right?" Dorough: "OK, Right there." Davis: "One, two, three, four..." False start (0:03). Davis interrupts: "Jimmy, some time! One, two, three, four..." They begin. "Come on, Paul, 4/4. One, two, three, four..." Rhythm section only (0:24); Davis interrupts: "Try it again, try it again. OK? Five... five bars, uh, right on the same place. One, two, three, four..." Rhythm section only (0:41); Davis begins whistling the trumpet part at 0:24, then adds, "Don't play no motherfuckin' chords there..." Fred Plaut: "All right, go ahead." Macero: "You gotta put that in another hole... Freddy, put that in another hole." Davis: "I know a hole you can put it in." (Laughter) Macero: "Freddy's been trying to do that to me for a long time... OK, Bob, you wanna just say a few words?" Dorough: "Nothing like you... Nothing like you has ever been seen before..." Davis: "That's right." Dorough: "Nothing like you... existed in days..." Plaut: "No, no, it's [undecipherable] of an elephant." Macero: "You couldn't hear?" (Dorough noodling on piano.) Davis: "It's made from an elephant hand, man..." Macero: "No, we got those from leftover bombers..." Davis: "See, he ain't never thinkin' about it..." Plaut: "Put it in the back." Unknown: "There you go..." Davis: "Bring me a wig and I can wear it..." (Much laughter) Macero: "Play it."

19

Nothing Like You (take 3) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

0:14

Macero: "Take three..."

20

Nothing Like You (take 4) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

0:28

"Four..."

21

Nothing Like You (rehearsal) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

4:37

False start (0:14). Davis: "E-flat major chord." Davis and Dorough work out a chord progression. Another short take (0:14). Davis: "OK, just me and you on the chords. The introduction, then the chords..." Another short take (0:14). Davis: "How many, how many beats you all are playin' before..." Dorough: "Bar, four beats." Plays (0:08-0:14). Davis: "Try it again. Uh, that fifth bar..." Dorough: "At the fifth bar?" Davis: "Yeah." They play (0:11). Davis: "You put A-flat in the chord?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "I'm not hearin' it." Dorough plays. Davis: "You gotta play it, man. You're not playing nothin' in it." Dorough: "I got everything in it." Davis: "Well, play it up high so I can hear it." Dorough play the chords. They play (0:10); Davis interrupts: "What was that right there, man?" Dorough: "A-flat minor seventh." Davis: "Yeah, G-flat?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "Now play G-flat." (Dorough plays.) "Now play it again, fifth bar..." They play (0:14). Davis: "Again, man, play 'em again." They play (0:09). Davis: "Try again." They play (0:17). Davis: "Play it again..." They play (0:12). Davis: "How are you comin' out of there?" Dorough: "Fifth bar?" Davis: "Yeah." They play (0:11). Davis: "You ain't playin' that right there, you know." Dorough: "Huh?" Davis plays a progression, Dorough plays chord changes (0:12). Davis: "How many beats you play, uh, B-flat major after that?" Dorough: "Another bar." Davis: "And then, ah, two beats... A-flat?" Dorough: "A-flat and B-flat." Davis: "G-flat -- a bar?" Dorough: "A bar, yeah." Davis: "Then G-flat to..." Dorough: "F-sharp minor, then B." (Plays changes)

22

Nothing Like You (take 5) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

1:05

Macero: "Five." Davis: "We're gonna try it out for practice, Teo." Macero: "OK." Davis: "Hey, do you think I should play this in the mute -- the introduction -- or play it all open?" Macero and Dorough: "In the mute, I like it in the mute." Davis: "You mean all the background? OK, I'll play the whole thing with the mute." Macero: "OK, very nice. We're rolling..." False start (0:12). Davis: "Hey Bob, can you sing it without playin'?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "OK, just, just we'll, the band will just play." Dorough: "OK." Davis: "But don't you sing... I mean, don't you play. You know what I mean?" Dorough: "Just sing, OK."

23

Nothing Like You (take 6) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

2:28

Macero: "OK, here we go, six..." At the end Davis says, "Hey Teo, I wanna hear it, but I just wanna [undecipherable]" Macero: "OK, we'll play it back..." Davis: "It should swing..."

Macero: "Nine..." Davis: "OK, try it again..." At the end Davis says, "make another one..."

27

Nothing Like You (take 10) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

4:58

"Ten..." False start (0:03), then a complete take (2:05). Dorough: "I goofed, Miles... Uh, hit the wrong note or somethin', wrong word." Davis: "Where?" Dorough: "Near the end..." Davis: "Uh, let's take it from the middle." Dorough: "Where's that? Your solo? (He scats) And then go back? Nothing like you has ever been seen... No-thing like you, no-thing like you, nothing like you has ever been seen before... You're like a dream come true..." Someone whistles the tune. Davis: "Babalaba-ba-ba... You go all the way down in the..." Dorough: "OK, yeah, G-flat, right?" They play (0:42). Davis plays the ascending passage of the theme, then says "Let's start the same right here. We recording this, Teo?" Macero: "Yeah, we'll record this. Ah, Bob, is that last babala-babala-babala-babala-ba -- that high note, is that right?" Dorough: "Is that high note right?" Macero: "Yeah." Dorough: "Sure." Macero: "Shouldn't that be in unison?" Dorough: "Ah, no, I went up above him." Macero: "Yeah, a third above?" Dorough: "If I want... No, um, a second. It's all right if I want to, ain't it?" Macero: "Yeah, sure, I don't care." They play, beginning with "You're like a dream come true..." (0:43). Davis: "That should be it, Teo. Play that..."

28

Nothing Like You (take 11) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)

1:41

Macero: "Could we do one all the way from the top? Yeah, let's do one from the top. Hold it one second..." False start (0:06), then incomplete take (1:13)

Davis, Columbia's best-selling jazz artist, was cajoled into contributing a title
to a Christmas compilation album to be in the stores in December 1962. According
to Jack Chambers (Milestones), Davis complained to Dorough, "What the fuck
am I supposed to play for them? 'White Christmas'?" The lyrics are by Dorough
and the arrangement is by Gil Evans. Davis plays some very tasty obbligatos behind
Dorough's vocals, and Wayne Shorter -- taking a break from the Jazz Messengers
-- has an excellent one-chorus solo on the issued take.

There are no instrumental breaks in "Nothing Like You," but there are some nice
Davis/Rehak unison passages, Davis again plays very nice obbligatos, and the arrangement
is vintage Evans. Many listeners dismiss these titles as fluff in the Davis catalog,
but Davis and Macero took these tunes seriously enough to devote nearly an hour
of studio time to getting them right -- twelve takes and several rehearsals apiece!

After the flurry of Columbia studio activity and live recording in the spring of
1961, Davis was relatively inactive during 1961-1962. He was evidently unhappy with
Hank Mobley, though he did not replace him until sometime the following year. J.J.
Johnson was added to the group as another solo voice, and the Sextet was booked
at the Club Renaissance, Los Angeles (October 12-19); Minor Key Club, Detroit (December
7-10); Jazz Gallery, New York (December 21, 1961-January 3, 1962); Howard Theater,
Washington (January 12-18 -- Johnson apparently did not make this gig); Indiana
University Auditorium (March 24 -- a benefit for the Indiana NAACP for which Davis
did not show!); April 17-22, Village Vanguard, New York; May 19-28, Mardi Gras, Kansas
City; June 1-10, Music Box Theatre, Los Angeles; June 12-July 1, Blackhawk Supper Club,
San Francisco; July 4-10, The Penthouse, Seattle; August 16-19, Minor Key, Detroit;
August 24-25, La Comédie Canadienne, Montreal (Davis filled in for an ailing Sonny
Rollins for the August 25 matinée); September 17-22, Showboat, Philadelphia; November
13-19, Village Vanguard, New York. A four-night engagement at the Music Box Club,
Cleveland (December 6-9) was canceled and rescheduled for December 27-30. Mobley
is still listed as the saxophonist at the end of 1962.